CHENNAI: The Central government’s counter-affidavit filed in the Supreme Court on November 28, in response to a petition filed by the families of those who lost their kin in the 1991 bomb blast that killed
former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, has given fresh hope to the seven convicts in the assassination case who are awaiting the decision of Governor Banwarilal Purohit on their release.
The petition filed in 2014 against the TN government’s decision to remit the life sentences of the seven convicts is still pending before Supreme Court.
The Centre, in its counter affidavit, said: “The petitioner has prayed to restrain the respondents from granting pardons.... till the disposal of the instant writ petition. In this regard, it is stated that the proposal of the government of Tamil Nadu... to release the seven convicts... has already been decided and rejected by the ministry vide order dated April 18, 2018.... No proposal in this regard is pending with the answering respondent and thus, the prayer is infructuous....”
“The Centre has given the green signal to the Governor to release the convicts. There are reports that he was awaiting the SC verdict to take a decision. Though legally there is nothing binding on the Governor to decide on the State’s recommendation, now, even the veil, in the form of the petition, has been removed,
with the Centre calling the petition infructuous,” K Sivakumar, counsel for Perarivalan, one of the seven said.